This year's group of NHL's unrestricted free agents won't inspire much excitement, but sprinkle in a few past-their-prime stars and the inevitable annual overpayment of defensemen and there will still be intrigue. Plenty of players have will something to contribute if the fit is right.

Below is a glimpse at what this crop has to offer, including a list of top available free agents and a tracker which updates live as deals pour in.

When does NHL free agency begin?

The official window for teams and pending unrestricted free agents to finalize contracts opened July 1. But plenty of chatter goes on behind the scenes during the NHL's weeklong interview period, when teams submitted qualifying offers to retain the rights to restricted free agents Monday. Those players have until July 5 to elect to go to salary arbitration with their teams. July 6 is the deadline for teams to elect to do the same.

NHL free agents 2017: Top 10 unrestricted players

1. Kevin Shattenkirk, D ( Signed with Rangers ) — Shattenkirk, the consensus top player on the free agent market, made his own pitch to the Rangers, taking less in term and dollars (four years, $26.6 million) to play near his hometown of New Rochelle, N.Y., spurning the Devils' more lucrative offer in the process.

In relative terms, the contract is a bargain and allows GM Jeff Gorton the cap space flexibility to re-sign his key RFAs, keeping the Rangers competitive as the Henrik Lundqvist championship window grows ever smaller.

2. Alexander Radulov, RW ( Signed with Stars ) — The Stars continued their bold offseason overhaul, inking Radulov, the top available UFA forward, to a five-year, $31.25 million contract ($6.25M AAV). Radulov, 30, is not short on talent, scoring 18 goals and 54 points in his first season in North America since leaving the NHL on sour terms in 2012. That doesn't seem to scare Dallas, which has added a starting goalie in Ben Bishop, a top-four defenseman in Marc Methot and bolstered its center depth with the weekend signing of the underrated Martin Hanzal. All four players are on the wrong side of 30 and come with caveats, but the Stars look vastly different after a disappointing year.

​3. Joe Thornton, C ( Re-signed with Sharks ) — With longtime teammate Patrick Marleau gone to Toronto, the Sharks upped the ante to keep Thornton in the fold with a one-year, $8 million deal. It's a sigh of relief for San Jose to get Jumbo Joe back in the fold for another run at the Cup. He was courted by a number of teams along with Marleau. Not a bad 38th birthday present.

4. Martin Hanzal, C ( Signed with Stars ) — The big, 6-6 centerman is hardly a sexy addition, but he was traded for a first-round pick at last season's deadline. Hanzal, 30, is affordable at $4.75 million over the next three years and provides additional depth down the middle for the Stars. Can never have too much of that.

5. Patrick Marleau, LW ( Signed with Maple Leafs ) — For a 19-year veteran who will turn 38 before the start of next season, Marleau sure had his suitors. And in the end he got the term and money he was looking for from the Maple Leafs in the form of a three-year deal worth $18.75 million ($6.25M AAV).

Marleau played 1,493 games with the Sharks, missing only 31 in his career, and was the longest-tenured player for a single team in the NHL. He's betting big that one of its youngest rosters is ready to win now, and the Leafs are betting he has plenty left in the tank to help them do it.

6. Jaromir Jagr, LW, Panthers

7. Justin Williams, RW ( Signed with Hurricanes ) — Mr. Game 7 goes back to the place where he earned his reputation as one of the NHL's best playoff performers, inking a two-year, $9 million ($4.5 AAV) deal with the Canes. He spent five years in Carolina, winning the Cup in 2006. Now 35, he's a captain candidate for a young squad on the rise.

9. Karl Alzner, D ( Signed with Canadiens ) — Alzner, one of the more sought-after defensemen on the market, heads to Montreal on a contract that was more team-friendly than expected: five years at $4.625 million per annum. The 28-year-old fills a need for the Habs, who have a ton of blue line minutes to give.

10. Brian Elliott, G ( Signed with Flyers ) — Elliott was having a brutal first season in Calgary but became one of the NHL's hottest goalies down the stretch, salvaging his contract year. A poor playoff showing cost him some dollars (2 years, $5.5 million), so Philly gets a bargain to platoon with Michal Neuvirth while hoping Elliott, 32, might recapture the consistency that made him a stalwart with the Blues.